OAU mediation attempts

In July 1968, the Organization of African Unity launched formal mediation efforts to end the Nigerian Civil War through its Consultative Committee on Nigeria. The committee, led by Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, brought together representatives from both the Federal Nigerian government and Biafran leadership for peace talks in Addis Ababa. However, the OAU's official position firmly supported Nigeria's territorial integrity and rejected Biafran independence claims from the outset.

The mediation attempt emerged as international pressure mounted on African leaders to resolve the conflict that had raged for over a year. Many African nations feared that recognizing Biafran secession could encourage separatist movements across the continent, threatening the post-colonial borders established after independence. The OAU faced the delicate task of ending the humanitarian crisis while maintaining its founding principle that colonial boundaries should remain intact to preserve continental stability.